Abstract Title: Measuring Spatial Segregation of Ethnic Minorities in the UK at Fine Scales and Individual Level through Family Name and Personal Name Analysis.
Author(s):
Pablo Mateos* - University College London
Paul Longley - University College London
Richard Webber - University College London
Abstract:
Understanding of the detailed composition and geographic distribution of ethnic groups remains key to a vast swathe of social science, although much research remains hamstrung by the quality and availability of ethnicity classifications. Ethnicity information is not available in most large scale public sector data series, and such data as are routinely available are based upon diverse, vague or over-generalised classifications, or only available at coarse geographical units. In the UK, these problems are very evident with respect to Census of Population data that prevents the understanding of the true spatial segregation processes that are believed to underlie some UK cities.
An alternative methodology to ascribe population ethnicity at individual level has been developed using family name and personal name analysis, at very fine geographical levels and using a very detailed typology of over 100 ethnic groups. This paper presents the results of its successful application to the UK Electoral Roll as well as to several health registers in London. The outcome is an improved methodology for classifying population registers, as well as small areas (typically unit postcode or zipcode+4), into cultural, ethnic and linguistic groups, that makes possible the creation of much more detailed, frequently updated, representations of the ethnic kaleidoscope of cities.
The results of the pilot study are used to illustrate the diverse ethnic geography of London in 2004, and the detailed nature of spatial segregation operating at neighbourhood scales. These have hitherto been hidden by the coarser spatial and temporal granularity of Census data.
